The present invention relates to a microelectronic component, especially a memory, a use of clusters, and a method for fabricating a microelectronic component.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,930 A, a microelectronic component with at least one cluster is known. Here, micro-quantum channels are formed by at least two, preferably many adjoining clusters. The quantum channels can extend between connecting electrodes. Preferably, bulk material of the clusters is used and this bulk material is pressed together. The clusters each have a metallic cluster nucleus and an insulating ligand shell. The cluster nuclei each have, in particular, 55 gold atoms in close-packed sphere packing. The known component achieves further miniaturization in the field of microelectronics. In comparison with typical space requirements of approximately 250 nm for transistors in previously known technology, the dimensions for the quantum wires of the known components can be reduced significantly.
In addition, intensive research has been performed in the field of metal clusters especially with 55 gold atoms. As examples of this research, the following articles are mentioned: “Single-electron tunneling in Au55 cluster monolayers” by L. F. Chi et al., Appl. Phys. A 66, pp. 187-190 (1998); “Metal Clusters and Colloids,” Günter Schmid et al., Adv. Mater. 1998, 10, No. 7; “Reduced Metallic Properties of Ligand-Stabilized Small Metal Clusters,” Huijing Zhang et al., NANO LETTERS 2003, Vol. 3, No. 3, 305-307.
The present invention is based on the problem of disclosing a microelectronic component, a use of clusters with metallic cluster nuclei, and a method for fabricating a microelectronic component, wherein a microelectronic component can be realized, especially in the form of an electronic memory or with single-electron transistors, which has minimal space requirements, as well as minimal power and energy requirements, and which can be fabricated easily, and which operates, in particular, at room temperature.
An essential idea of the present invention is to electrically connect clusters individually such that these can be electrically modified independently of each other and individually, especially through single-electron transfer, and/or their electrical state can be polled.
The individual, electrical modification and polling permits addressing, so that an electronic memory can be realized with a plurality of “memory cells” or transistors formed by the connected clusters.
Therefore, because only a single cluster is necessary for each memory cell or transistor, the space requirement is minimized.
The ideally provided single-electron transfer for changing the electrical or electronic state of a connected cluster minimizes the necessary power and energy requirements, so that very quick switching times can be realized and the low loss heat in contrast with conventional solutions enables miniaturization without cooling problems and especially use at room temperature or higher temperatures.
In the preferred embodiments described in more detail below, not all of the clusters are connected electrically; instead only a few of the clusters are in contact with first and second connecting electrodes. Here, the non-connected clusters are not disturbed.
Furthermore, there can also be defective connections in so far as two connecting electrodes contact two parallel, adjacent clusters instead of an in-between cluster at an intersecting point. However, the likelihood of such a defect is sufficiently small or even negligible for a width of the connecting electrodes that preferably corresponds essentially to the average cluster diameter.
Preferably, the clusters are arranged essentially in lines or rows. According to a preferred embodiment, this is enabled very easily by housing the clusters in parallel grooves of equal size.
A very simple design and very simple bonding is preferably achieved by forming the first and second connecting electrodes in strips and arranging them such that the first connecting electrodes run parallel to each other and the second connecting electrodes run parallel to each other and crosswise to the first connecting electrodes, with a first and a second connecting electrode being in electrical contact with each other at their appropriate intersecting point preferably by means of a single cluster.
Additional advantages, features, properties, and aspects of the present invention emerge from the claims and the subsequent description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawing.